Tick A treat
by Ramica
Summary: A four year old Rama goes trick or treating for the first time, and what a pay off one can get from such an event. A Rama short in the series.


**Tick a Teat**

**Rated K**

**Disclaimer:** I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Mike looked at Rama busy playing with Karena, the two of them were engrossed with some some of the larger lego blocks meant for younger children, Karena was nearing the end of her first trimester and while she tired easily, she still found time to amuse the young turtle child who showed her such affection. "Karena, I do Baka." Rama said thrusting a hodgepodge of blocks. that went in every direction, towards her Aunt's face.

Karena smiled, "That looks just like your kitty too."

Rama beamed with glee, "No not like my Baka. My cat soft this cat isn't" Rama declared giving her head a furious shake.

Mike couldn't help but laugh, and he was rewarded by Rama whirling around and giving him a sour look, "Uh but your cat could make a good Halloween cat."

Rama scowled "What dat?" she demanded as she set her block cat down.

"You will find out tonight. Want to help me carve a pumpkin Rama?" Mike asked.

"The store having a sale on pumpkins Mike?" Karena inquired as she set her own blocks down, every year the stores would have a sale on the orange squash the week coming up to Halloween to rid themselves of the stock. By night fall on Halloween there was some rather slim pickings and very pathetic looking pumpkins for jack-o-lantern carving.

"Oh yeah we have a very small lopsided pumpkin in the kitchen and I figured Rama would love getting the guts out of it." Mike replied.

"Punky guts?" Rama made a face.

Karena had to laugh at the child's scrunched up face, "Come on Rama." She took the child's hand and lead her into the kitchen where the pumpkin sat on newspapers on the table. Rama's jaw dropped and her eyes bulged as she saw it. Karena bent and hugged the four year old "That's a pumpkin honey and we are going give the pumpkin a face. But first we have to get it ready."

Mike drew out a knife and cut a lid around the stem, lifting it off. "Now look inside Rama, go ahead feel them." He encouraged her.

Rama clambered up onto a chair and reached her hand into the squishy strings, "Yuckkkkk! Icky sticky" She yelled while making faces but she didn't withdraw her hand, instead she squished pumpkin guts in her fingers. "Punky guts ewww gross." she declared withdrawing her hands and flinging them a bit, sending bits of Pumpkin gut flying at her dad and Aunt.

Mike chuckled, "We are not going have a fight with pumpkin guts young thing, Now take the guts out and lie them on a paper, and we can put some of the seeds on trays and bake them to eat." He explained kindly.

Rama made a face, "Yuck daddy, I don't wanna eat punky guts." She claimed as she held up a large handful of gooey strings from the pumpkin innards.

Karena bend over holding a hand over her mouth as she released howls of mirth, over both the child's words and the look on her face.

Mike arched an eye ridge "You like pumpkin pie don't you?"

Rama nodded and licked her lips "Wit whip cream daddy." She reminded him.

"Well, the pumpkin here is going be making our pie later on."

Rama laughed at her dad's serious expression she shook her head, "Noooooo," she chortled, "daddy bein silly."

After helping remove the pumpkin guts, Rama continued to play with them while Mike tried to figure out what to carve, "We could have a spider."

"NO!" Rama vetoed that idea quickly, "Don't wan punky to be icky spider." She huffed.

"Okay no spider, we could do a ghost or a witch, or a cat." Mike suggested.

Rama beamed "Punky cat. Nice punky cat."

XXX

Later that evening Mike tried to get Rama dressed in a princess costume but Rama wanted nothing to do with it. "No. Don't wanna" Rama sulked.

"Come on Rama we are going out and you'll like it every one will be dressed up," Mike wheedled, "Besides, Aunt April got it for you she'd love to see you in it." He gazed at the stubborn look that crossed her face, "All right Rama, I suppose it isn't necessary most people will think you have quite the costume as it is," he finally relented, he gave an exasperated sigh as he looked down at her. Rama didn't like wearing clothes, not even for dress up. Mike felt for sure that Rama's mother, and the kidnapping event that had happened such a short time ago, had a lot to do with that. Mike smiled, " Were going visit Aunt April and Uncle Casey." He informed her.

Raph hearing this jumped up "I'll come wit ya, Mikey."

"You going dress up?" Mike asked.

"What evah for Mike, **you **might have to hide your mug so as not to scare the kiddies but I'm not worried bout scarin' them none." Raph retorted.

Rama glanced up "We go see Aunt April, Unca Casey." she begged.

"Right after I get in my costume Rama." Mike assured her stroking her hair.

"Yeah, you don't want daddy scarin' the kiddies. I'll go grab us some goody bags," Raph announced cheerfully.

In moments Mike dressed as a pirate, complete with a fake hook for one hand and a patch over his eye emerged, Rama seeing him laughed and clapped her hands "Daddy Capy Hook."

"That's right Rama, you sure you don't want to dress up as my Princess?" Mike asked one more time.

"No, don't wanna. Wanna see Aunt April and Casey."

XXX

Mike packed Rama to April and Casey's apartment building, Rama often flinching and huddling close to her father as she saw so many dressed up people. She clung to him a little tighter, and glanced around nervously, at the bright colours of girls dressed as Princesses or fairies, and made soft whimpering noises at the sight of teens with garish zombie costumes or fake blood all over them. Mike stroked her shell as he held her.

"It's all right Rama llama ding dong it is all just pretend." He soothed.

"That's right Ramiela they aren't going hurt you or do anythin' to ya. Sides I'd like ta see anyone try." Raph agreed, "We are here."

Halloween was the one night of the year the turtles felt totally safe, walking topside without their normal disguises, it was also one of the only times a year that they dared enter in through the front door of their friend's apartment building. The turtles strolled in and took the elevator up, to the appropriate floor with a few other people.

One guy dressed as a hunchback turned "Cool outfits man! Where'd you get the turtle costumes dude?"

"Home made" Mike quipped.

Mike set Rama on her feet outside the door, "Now hold the bag and I'm gonna knock."

Rama looked into the empty plastic bag, her face scrunched up in confusion, suddenly some other kids came running up just as her dad knocked and Rama got closer to Mike as the five other children yelled "**TRICK OR TREEEEEEEAT!"**

The door swung open and April was dressed in a gorgeous ball gown, with a feathery mask over her eyes, "Why aren't you all so adorable. Hmmm I have a Zorro, a witch, I believe your Harry Potter right?"

"Yep." the child nodded.

"A lion and Minnie mouse. There you all go." April dumped a treat in each bag, then she saw Rama clinging uncertainly to Mike's leg. "Where is your Princess dress Ramiela?"

"She didn't want to wear it, sorry April." Mike shrugged, he had seen the brief look of disappointment cross her face, "I figured it wasn't worth a battle over."

"That's all right maybe you can wear it some other time. Come here Ramiela." April urged.

Rama cautiously went forward but she looked over her shoulder at her father and Uncle, April grabbed a handful of treats from the goody bowl and put them into Rama's bag. Rama opened the bag wide and looked into the bag, "Daddy!" She squealed with excitement, "I gots candy!"

Mike chuckled, "Really now? Did you say thank you to April?"

Rama ducked her head then glanced up shyly "Ank you Aunt April" she went over and hugged her.

April hugged her tight in return "You going go get more candy?"

Rama blinked as if the thought hadn't occurred to her "I gets more?" she echoed in stunned awe and slight disbelief.

Raph nodded "Sure thin' kid all youse gotta do is knock on doors and say trick or treat."

Rama watched as some other kids came up seeing April they chorused "Trick or treat" and April deposited goodies in their bags.

"Cans I daddy?" Rama asked.

"Sure come on Rama ding dong." Mike hurried her along to the next door Rama didn't say anything as the other children were all ready knocking and calling out for their treats but she gave a meek little "Ank you" when a treat was deposited into her bag.

Mike and Raph walked with Rama often getting stunned calls from people answering the doors, some of these people offered candy to the two ninja and Raph and Mike didn't pass it down, they graciously accepted these treats for themselves.

Raph gave a grin at Mike "Sure reminds me of when we were younger huh, all the candy and..." Raph watched he could tell Rama was starting to get braver as she was joining in the traditional chant to get her sweets.

Mike chuckled, "Splinter never let us go to too many places he was afraid we'd be found out, but man we always thought we had such a haul, and it was always gone too soon."

Raph snorted, "You kept trick or treating till you were fifteen."

"Why not costumes keep getting better and better every year, it is easy to blend in like" Mike winked, he watched as Rama went running up to a door and knocked on it "Tick a teat," she sang out.

Mike smiled as he heard this "Now she is starting to get into this and enjoy herself." He noted, as he watched Rama race to a door and knock on it without anyone else urging her on, or hiding in a crowd of other children.

Rama finished going to every door on April's floor "I do more tick teat daddy pleaaaassssssssse!" she begged as she bounced up and down.

"You've got lots Rama." Mike began.

Raph gave him a dirty look "She's just starting to have fun don't spoil it now. Come on daddy" he elbowed his brother.

"Yeah, comes on daddy. More tick teat, more candy." Rama nodded eagerly as she bounced around them.

Mike huffed a little "Like this kid needs candy. All right some more trick or treat."

Rama cheered, happily as she ran to grasp her Uncle's hand, " Tick a teat. I like tick a treat." She looked in her bulging bag, "Rama gets candy" she announced as she licked her lips.

XXX

Over an hour later with her goody bag getting far too heavy for Rama to carry, Mike and Raph carried her back up to April and Casey's place. Casey answered this time, he was dressed as the Grim reaper and Rama screamed on sight of her human Uncle.

Casey pulled back his hood and took off the skeleton mask, "Hey, it's me kiddo. Here you can have the last of our candy."

"She doesn't need any more candy Casey" Mike started to protest.

But Rama turned and yelled "Tick a teat." She now knew the magic words to get the candy.

"Sorry Mike, I tricked her now I have to treat her." Casey declared innocently.

"You can put it in this bag here" Raph held out a pillow case.

"Look Bonehead you better not be stealing candy from her." Casey began glowering at the mutant turtle.

"I don't steal from little kids." Raph snapped, " That I would leave to Mikey here, and who are you calling Bonehead, that outfit is normal fer you."

Casey handed a small chocolate bar to Rama she snatched it and munched on it happily, "So you guys ready to leave for the fireworks display?"

"Whenever you are. Will go home and put away the goodies first." Mike informed their friends. He smiled at Raph on the way home "It wouldn't be healthy to give **all** this to Rama, we'll have to help her."

"Of course Mike, that is why we had to let her go to so many places" Raph explained,as they walked down the sewers toward the lair.

As soon as they got home Rama went running up to Splinter "Tick a treat."

Splinter arched an eyebrow as he reached down to caress the child's cheek "Michaelangelo there is but one problem taking your daughter trick or treating."

" I know the candy will make her hyper Sensei, but she won't get it all at once..." Mike began.

"It is not that my son, it is the fact of how long she will continue to play the wonderful game of trick or treat after the season has ended." The elderly rat smirked, "You might be hearing about trick or treat to thanksgiving and beyond if she is anything like you."

The End


End file.
